South Portland moves to ban pellet guns in public

[oneshooter]

It may soon be illegal to possess non-lethal weapons, such as BB guns, air guns, bows and arrows or slingshots, in public places in South Portland.
After listening to several speakers who said such a law would violate their rights, the City Council voted 6-1 Monday night to amend the city's weapons ordinance to ban non-lethal weapons.
The change does not restrict possession of firearms in public places.
To take effect, the measure still must be ratified in a second reading, on Oct. 4.



http://www.pressherald.com/news/s_-portland-moves-to-ban-pellet-guns-in-public_2010-09-21.html


Not my state, but it seems to be going a bit far.

Oneshooter
Armed and Livin in Texas

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

1. As long as lethal weapons are still allowed then it's not really a concern.

FWIW, I think there's no reason to be *carrying* around servicable BB guns or bows or slingshots out in public.
Now, "airguns" is interesting as airsoft toys and paintball markers fall under that category. As long as those remain legal for use on private property and designated places then I see no reason that this law will hamper those activities... as what purpose could carrying around those in public serve?

[Kolesar]

9. In case someone has to defend himself from a criminal Goliath

:sarcasm:

[YllwFvr]

16. It wasnt uncommon

when I was a boy to walk to the local indoor paintball arena when a ride wasnt available. Some of us had cases for our paintball markers, some didnt. So yeah we would walk through town in our gear with markers in hand. Unloaded and depressurized of course.

[msongs]

2. infringes the RKBA of kids like their OCD parents lol nt

[oneshooter]

4. I wish you would wait untill you have a well thought out comment to make.

Don't worry, we will wait for it.

No matter how long it takes. :rofl:


Oneshooter
Armed and Livin in Texas

[SteveM]

14. Play-pen zero-tolerance politics. Pitiful ordnance. nt

[rrneck]

3. Public?

Is a kid walking down the street in the 'burbs with a slingshot a public menace? Hair splitting fail.

[benEzra]

5. So much for Society of Creative Anachronism meets in public parks.

Does this apply to waterguns too?

Seems a bit of an overreaction to me, but whatever...

[jeepnstein]

6. I've had my car windows shot out...

at least ten times in the last two years. They'll usually hit forty or fifty cars a night for several nights when it starts. Joy riding kids are the prime suspects. I'd love to have an ordinance that would let an officer detain the little buggers for having a BB gun. It's kind of dumb to include bows in that ban because they have legitimate uses in some public areas. Yes, a bow can be a very deadly and useful weapon in the right hands.

I'm betting this is aimed at curbing juvenile vandalism. I doubt it will work. My wife wants reactive armor installed on her Honda minivan.

As long as the ordinance doesn't infringe on the 2nd Amendment I don't really see the problem.

[Callisto32]

8. Reactive armor for mini-vans...

sign me up.

[Callisto32]

7. Nonlethal weapons like bows and arrows....

Calls into question their familiarity with weapons, doesn't it?

I've eaten a lot of deer killed with arrows...

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

10. Arrows have ALOT of power & momentum behind them.

320+ FPS @ 500 gr. might be the speed and weight of a typical arrow.
This is easily in the ballpark of .45acp momentum (230gr @ 800fps).

An arrow will go THROUGH a person and cut a bigger would track than a pistol round while doing it.

[Euromutt]

11. Tell that to the French

Agincourt, anyone?

[Glassunion]

13. Yeah!!!

My favorite bed time story is how this hand gesture came to be.

[Euromutt]

15. And like so many bed time stories, it's a fabrication

Assuming that the version you have in mind is the "we've still got the fingers to pull our bowstrings" one. That was concocted during the Victorian era; the Victorians have a lot to answer for as far as falsifying history for the sake of sanitizing it is concerned.

The gesture actually means "you're a cuckold"; or, to put it more directly and in a way that clearly explains the semiotics of the gesture, "your wife is getting fucked with two dicks (at least one of which is not yours)."

[proteus_lives]

12. Very silly.